The ISU swimming & diving team (4-1, 0-0 Big 12) is leaving Ames for the first time this season to take on Texas Christian (3-1, 0-1) in Ft. Worth, Texas on Nov. 7.

The Horned Frogs were defeated handily by Kansas this past weekend in their first loss of the season, 172-124. Iowa State carries one loss to Ft. Worth, a tough defeat against Nebraska on Oct. 18.

ISU coach Duane Sorenson compared the Cyclones’ lone loss on the season to the upcoming meet.

“This will be very similar to the Nebraska meet,” Sorenson said. “It’s going to be a back and forth type of meet, and they always swim well at their home pool. They have had a history of that for years.”

Sorenson said he is confident in his team and thinks the Cyclones have the right mentality going into this meet to reverse their fortunes from the Nebraska meet.

“We just have to really step up and compete,” Sorenson said. “This will be our first road trip, and we have never been to this pool before as a team. We have to get used to the surroundings and get comfortable in their pool. We have to be very aggressive and swim like we did this last weekend and then I think we will be in good shape.”

The ISU swimming & diving team has no issues as a team overall, but just some improvements individually to take care of.

“We’re just trying to be more consistent with everything that we’re doing, and work on every race,” Sorenson said. “Everyone in each race has something to work on, and everyone is just trying to break things down and work on their own agenda.”

As the ISU swimming & diving team is taking its first road trip of the year, so too are freshmen like Kasey Roberts, who has only swam in Beyer Hall as a Cyclone.

“I’m excited, especially because we get to fly down instead of taking a bus,” Roberts said. “It will be fun to travel with the team for the first time.”

ISU assistant coach Kelly Nordell is looking forward to the most competitive event her team has been in since the loss to Nebraska.

“I expect a fierce battle,” Nordell said. “It will be neck and neck and very challenging for us. TCU will be ready to go.”

The individual focus on small improvements is the major theme Iowa State hopes to conquer against TCU this weekend.

“I think we need every person to focus on specifically what their race is, what they need to do and doing the little things right,” Nordell said. “We have been doing really well with that the past couple weeks of practice since we lost to Nebraska. If they continue to just carry that into the meet, I’ll feel really good where we sit in the meet.”